From superstar to adaptation. The fall crashed to the last last of Constitution Hill in the Aintree Hurdle presents the team to Seven Barrows with a major dilemma.
How do Nicky Henderson and his team discover these inexplicable errors that burn the career of one of the best national hunting horses lately?
A fall of nowhere in the Hurdle champion could be considered unhappy. Errors occur. An aberration.
But do the same a few weeks later? This suggests a deeper problem.
In simple terms, the Hill Constitution Speed went into a pot.
There was no question when he crashed four in the Hurdle champion, but it was the precise moment when the pace was lifted.
Nicky Henderson has a lot to think about the future with Hill Constitution
Henderson and the owner Michael Buckley (far right) consider Hill Constitution to Aintree
The same thing happened on Thursday in Aintree. Trapped in a pocket, the pace of a moderately managed race stood up again. And Constitution Hill fell. Again.
It was also the same kind of error in Cheltenham.
Taking back too early from the obstacle and giving yourself no chance of arriving on the other side.
Henderson will have to rely on each ounce of his training experience to restore normality with Constitution Hill.
He was undefeated in his career up to his two falls this spring. A trip to Punhetown could be a possibility.
It may be the third lucky time. A trip to Ireland and their old -fashioned obstacles could make all the difference.
Henderson reported that Hill Constitution and educated perfectly well at home between Cheltenham and Aintree.
But he would not have jumped at this speed which must give credit to the argument that the big problem is his jump.
Perhaps a form of headgear, such as flashes or cheeks, could improve its concentration by approaching high-speed obstacles.
The horse jumped well in the obstacle to Aintree until the last second when the pace rose
It was not as if he had lost his confidence and withdrew them. It is an option open to him.
Another tries something completely different.
The fact of reviewing the fences should lead to Constitution Hill, which gives its obstacles respect, but this idea was floated quite often and one could imagine that it was already educated on fences and that it did not go well.
So, a transition to fences next season seems unlikely. He will be nine years next season and it is late enough to change tact now.
Maybe a flat campaign has more attraction.
Targeting something like the ASCOT issues in Royal Ascot could be a source of temptation for Henderson and the owner Michael Buckley.
The engine and the enthusiasm are certainly always there with Constitution Hill.
He has the class and the ability to transfer his shape to the apartment and with his leap as poor as it is currently with regard to crunch, it is a much safer path to follow his career.
The other option is a potential change in jockey. Since he apologized for an error during the last international howler, the Jockey Nico de Boinville and Constitution Hill have not had the same wavelength since.
There seems to be a huge break in communication between the horse and the rider.
Constitution Hill wants to jump for a long time when De Boinville asks him to make an additional stride. The horse seems to completely ignore the rider’s instructions.
The debate raged on social networks on the question of whether De Boinville was to blame for the fall in Aintree.
It is open to interpretation. But what was less forgivable was the lamentable positioning of Constitution Hill approaching the last second.
It was locked up along the rail and fell back into a small field race around the turn between three and two withdrawals.
Tactically, De Boinville was completely scandalous by Danny Gilligan on Woodhoh and Paul Townend on Lossiemouth.
It was a bad turn, overall. Perhaps a change of jockey on Constitution Hill deserves to be explored.
It is not entirely struck by Boinville. The beauty of the race is that you can go from zero to Hero very quickly.
He would have undergone massive pressure on Friday before the pursuit of Melling. On board another hot favorite from Henderson, Jonbon won in a heat with four runners.
With the second favorite El Fabiolo an unreliable sweater, Matata out of its depth at the level of the first year and the rapid ground against Protektorate, veteran, it looked like a kick of penalty for Jonbon.
But he also made a big mistake in the second row of the Chase Chase in Cheltenham.
De Boinville won the pursuit of Melling and would have undergone enormous pressure to deliver
A source of respite was necessary for all in seven wheelbarrows and, as last year, Jonbon was able to deliver. It was not pretty, but it was certainly grainy with Horse and Rider to win.
De Boinville’s feeling of relief was then palpable and the owner of Constitution Hill, Buckley, defended the jockey on Friday.
It was a testimony to Boinville’s character to do the work.
Henderson understands that there is a lot to discuss the future of Constitution Hill after the dust settles on Aintree.
They are on a recovery mission and the next step will be fascinating.
Performance of the week …
Each year, there is a growing feeling for fear that the Grand National not being quite what it was, but it produces emotional stories like the others.
Move forward Nick Rockett which produced a wonderful performance on a large note of 160 to win the famous steeple of the world.
The owner Sadie Andrew died of cancer in December 2022 and her husband was there to see their horse winning the Grand National.
The legendary Willie Mullins did almost everything, but he was finally in tears when his son Patrick rose the horse he trained at his home to win the National.
It may not be the jump test that it was in the past, but it is a race that occupies a special place in the heart of the public, and makes it the racing audience.
The race continues to produce incredible stories each year. It just has a little but more.